Time to myself hasn't happened much lately. I am hoping to do better at blogging in 2015. My sweet friend Rosie had a talk with me yesterday and told me that we need to make time for and take care of ourselves better. We are always worrying about and doing for others. Sometimes it's important to make time for ourselves.
Something I tried this year and really, really love is kale. It might be my new favorite veggie. I've baked it in the oven as crunchy chips, sauteed it in olive oil with garlic, salt and pepper for a quick side, and added it to soup. My daughter Dana made this kale salad on Christmas Day and I thought it was amazing. This is actually the second time I've made it within the past week. Aren't the colors beautiful?
Kale Salad with Cranberries & Almonds
1 bunch kale, rinsed and thinly sliced
3 Tbsp. olive oil
1 shallot, sliced thin
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup dried cranberries
4 Tbsp red wine vinegar
4 tsp. honey
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1/4 cup sliced almonds
Rinse kale well. Remove from stems and thinly slice.
I put the sliced kale in a gallon zip-style bag and add 1 Tbsp of olive oil. Zip the bag up and "massage" the oil into the kale for a few minutes. You will see the color of the kale get darker.
Set kale aside.
Heat 2 Tbsp olive oil in pan over medium high heat. Add sliced shallot. Saute for
4-5 minutes watching closely. Add garlic and saute for another minute.
Turn heat to low and add cranberries, vinegar, honey and lemon juice. Stir to combine. (I thought I took a picture of this step but can't find it now.) Season with salt and pepper. Once it's combined, turn the heat off and let this mixture sit in the pan for a few minutes. The "craisins" will plump up from the heat and liquid.
Put the kale in a serving bowl. Pour cranberry mixture over the kale. Sprinkle sliced
almonds on top. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Enjoy!!
Wishing you a very blessed 2015 filled with health and happiness.
Lollie
